Topological quantum transducers between microwave and optical photons in a hybrid Rydberg atom-cavity system
Phys. Rev. A 114, 033712 – Published 9 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vfzh-d62h
Abstract
We propose a topological transport platform for microwave-to-optical conversion at the single-photon level in a Rydberg atom-cavity setting. This setting leverages a hybrid dual-mode Jaynes-Cummings (JC) configuration, in which the coupling between a microwave resonator and an optical cavity is mediated by a Rydberg atom ensemble. Our scheme enables the formation of Fock-state lattices (FSLs), where photon hopping rates depend on photon numbers in individual sites. We identify an inherent zero-energy mode corresponding to the dark state of the dual-mode JC model. This enables the construction of a high-efficiency single-photon transducer, which realizes topologically protected photon transport between the microwave and optical modes. Crucially, we analytically show that the FSL features continuous variations in the winding number. Our work establishes a robust mechanism for efficient quantum transduction in synthetic dimensions and opens avenues for exploring topological physics with continuous winding numbers in the atom-cavity system.
